


Fostering

by Insane1001



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-04-04 16:44:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4145127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insane1001/pseuds/Insane1001
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>15 year old Daryl came to them week old bruises and Flinching as his brother applied for custody</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fostering

**Author's Note:**

> weird little idea that came into my head

Daryl had come to them 15 years old, week old bruises and the glare of a life time of experiences he had been brought to them by a social worker with the older brother standing of to the side glaring at them all, the social worker told them he was going to be with them until Merle was able to get custody. The first week had been the hardest Daryl hadn’t eaten, drank or spoken every move they made was met with a flinch and with Daryl curling in on himself, Merle was back visiting that weekend scooping the still to thin Daryl into his arms whispering a few things into his ear which had him nodding.

Rick and Lori already had their own son a 5 year old Carl who was amazed with the older boy and the cross bow Merle dropped off for him that weekend, he would follow Daryl around and sit with him both Rick and Lori had been worried that might annoy Daryl but soon realized Daryl was also enjoying the company and he would show Carl how to hold the crossbow. 

The second week Daryl ate a little and spoke a little more he would say thank you when handed something but would never ask and he still flinched whenever either of them would move. The first word Daryl said that wasn’t thank you was when he answered what he liked doing in his spare time he had answered immediately without hesitation Hunting, later that week Rick had gotten out his hunting gear from when he was a child and had decided he was going to take Daryl out for a day thinking he could still remember how to hunt. When they got out there Daryl was a whole other person Rick had thought he was decent but compared to Daryl he was worse than a beginner Daryl was a whole other species the way he moved, stepped was so light that it looked like he was floating, the crossbow he carried with him was an extension of his arm and the way he found tracks that just looked like the ground to Rick and Daryl heard everything whilst Rick felt deaf compared to Daryl, he was so at ease he knew what he was doing and had obviously been doing it for a while. When questioned Daryl’s answer had been “gotta eat” which made Ricks heart break for the boy.  
Over the next couple of weeks he gradually opened up, Carl gained something like a big brother and they gained another son he had become part of the family and Rick and Lori where considering adopting making it official.

The day they had decided to ask there had been a knock on the door the early hours of the morning their stood Merle and the social worker who told them Merle had finally gotten custody after 2 months of waiting and he was here to take Daryl with him. Daryl being an incredibly light sleeper had come out to see what was going on, Merle perked up at seeing Daryl  
“Baby brother go pack your shit were heading out” Daryl had stopped at that startled but quickly moved to pack up his stuff while Lori and Rick went to wake up 5 year old Carl who once told Daryl was leaving started crying and ran to Daryl’s room, Lori and Rick followed him stopping in the doorway they watched as Daryl scooped up Carl reassuring him they would see each other again before putting him down and walking to the door way  
“Thanks for everything” Lori was nearly in tears and Rick had to put an arm around her to keep her steady. They watched with the social worker as Daryl got into Merle’s truck and they drove off with a final glance  
“We were gonna ask to adopt him today” was all Rick could utter before Lori started sobbing and Carl was clinging to his pant leg crying for Daryl to come back.

5 years later   

Carl never really forgot Daryl, he always remembered how he would teach him things about hunting and tracking and using his crossbow, how he was the big brother he never really had. Lori and Rick never forgot how much of a second son Daryl had become, he had become part of the family ingraining himself into their lives that he had been introduced to their friends and then he had been torn away the morning of the day they were gonna ask to adopt him. 

Rick had barely gotten out of a coma when the world ended and people were dying, coming back and taking chunks out of others, Rick had packed up his family picked up Shane and headed out, not long after he found a quarry further away up the highway were a few others had settled down, they’d be safe for a while.

The group soon got into a routine chores and jobs to keep every one distracted while Shane and Rick planned what they would do for the future. This continued on for a couple of weeks until a truck pulled in to the quarry with a motorbike strapped to the back and a large man stepped out, Shane stepped forward first  
“Can we help you” The man looked at them sneer in place  
“I told ma lil brother I'd be waiting for him here”  
“Where the hell is he hiking” The man sneered at him  
“He’s hunting trackin a deer he’ll be here tonight or tomorrow” Rick frowned  
“Should your brother be alone right now” the man chuckled  
“Trust me he’s fine always had been and always will be” Rick nodded  
“I’m Rick this is Shane” the man nodded  
“Merle Dixon” Rick paused before shaking his head it couldn’t be who he thought it was.

There was no sign of the brother and Merle kept to himself staying in his truck and getting his own food and water, not bothering anyone. When Rick and Shane got up Merle was already up and wandering around which was surprising as Rick and Shane were normally the first up in the group. It was a quiet morning till around noon until someone moved out of the woods completely silent, freaking everyone out.  
Carl was the first to recognize the male now standing at the edge of the woods looking about ready to disappear as silently as he appeared.  
“Daryl?” he questioned Rick and Lori both moved forward and Rick could see Merle and Shane moving forward as the strangers head jerked up and Rick, Lori and Carl all recognized the face that was glaring at them Rick studied him his hair was a darker blonde, he had grown but not by much the crossbow was in one hand while in the other was a string of squirrels, his clothes were tattered covered in dirt and blood.  
Rick was jerked back from his thoughts at seeing Carl move forward Lori had moved forward a little they watched as Daryl jerked away flinching as Carl got close before dropping to his knee’s to allow Carl to hug him, Carl wrapped his arms around Daryl head pressed into his neck as Daryl awkwardly brought one hand up to pat his back. It took a few minutes before Carl let go taking a step back and before Rick or Lori could move forward to embrace him Daryl called out to Merle  
“Hey Merle help me get the dear into the clearing before a fucking walker gets it” Merle walked past muttering something to Daryl as he bought him in for a hug before they both went back into the woods and call moved back over to them.  
“Dad I can’t believe he’s here” Rick was nodding as Lori answered  
“I know sweetie its amazing” they all quieted down as Daryl and Merle reemerged with a deer over there shoulders, already gutted and placed it on the back of Merle’s truck.  
“We should head out then brother” Daryl nodded before they could move Rick moved forward  
“You could stay, the skills hunting will be useful in the future we can only live on canned foods for so long” Merle and Daryl looked at each other before nodding  
“We'll stay” Merle murmured Daryl stepped forward glare still intact as Lori moved forward going straight for Daryl, Daryl saw her coming and moved to the side only getting a side hug that he maneuvered out of quickly with a flinch and shrug not looking at the hurt expression on Lori’s face as she called out to him.

The Next days mainly included Daryl moving around camp helping out as Carl followed him around like a puppy lapping up everything he talked about, Sophia joined in a little after they both found Daryl amazing with his crossbow and being so young and both clung to him.

Lori finally managed to get a hug which soon turned into her sobbing in his arms as he awkwardly held her as she cried about how much she had missed him and how much he felt like family and Daryl had pulled her close murmuring something in her ear that made her bawl even harder than before. Rick got his turn soon after managing a clap on the shoulder ignoring the flinch that occurred he moved him down to sit around the fire and told him they were gonna ask him to be part of their family formally the day Merle took him away and they had missed him.


End file.
